We are living in chaotic times. These are days of great danger. Jesus referred to our day in Luke 21:25-26, “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” These are signs of the last days. The Apostle Paul prophesied in 2 Timothy 3:1, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.” Perilous means harsh, savage, difficult, dangerous, painful, fierce, grievous, hard to deal with. Bishop Tim Hill writes, “The word describes a society that is barren of virtue but abounding with vices.”[1] The American Heritage Dictionary defines chaos as “a condition or place of great disorder or confusion.”[2]
At the beginning of this year, we declared this to be a year of intense shaking. Haggai 2:6 says, “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land.” We are witnessing this phenomenon every day. Devastating storms, political unrest, and inflation steal away resources families need. We live with the threat of terrorism and violence in our own cities. We are living in chaotic times when paid agitators and protesters set up encampments on college campuses to disrupt classes and to cancel graduation ceremonies.
How do we respond to chaotic times? Do we hide away and wait for the rapture? Do we remove ourselves from society and live only to ourselves? No, we are called to be salt and light to a world dwelling in darkness and living in bondage to sin. Matthew 5:13-16 says, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
What does it mean to be “the salt of the earth?” Meg Bucher writes in an article, What Does it Mean to Be the Salt of the Earth, “Salt preserves and fends off decay. Salt heals and soothes; it has medicinal value. Salt brings flavor and enhances other flavors. And salt only works when it’s out of the saltshaker.”[3] A chaotic world needs believers who are salt and light.
[1] Hill, Tim, Living in the Spirit and Power of Pentecost, page 44
[2] The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
[3] https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-does-salt-of-the-earth-mean-in-matthew-513.html
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